From the Desk of Jeff King

Light of the world

Jews refer to the middle branch of the Hanukkah menorah, called a hanukkiah, as the servant branch. Messiah is the servant candle that lights the rest of the candles. Yeshua of Nazareth observed Hanukkah during His earthly ministry as recorded in John 10:22.

This minor holiday in Judaism celebrates a military victory and the rededication of the Jerusalem temple; a one-day supply of ritual oil miraculously burned for eight days according to Talmudic legend. Jewish historians believe the first Hanukkah was a belated Sukkot celebration. The Maccabean revolt against the Syrian-Greeks had prevented the Jews from observing this divinely-ordained festival in the fall month of Tishri.

Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, points to a future day when redeemed man will dwell with the God of Israel forever. That marriage was made possible by the blood atonement of Messiah Yeshua, who likely was conceived during Hanukkah and born during the fall Biblical feasts. Hanukkah also is called the Festival of Lights. As the servant branch, Yeshua declares in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Like Sukkot, Hanukkah is celebrated eight days. Today is day five. May the light of Yeshua warm your hearts and home.

Dark age

Maybe someone should hurl a shoe at Washington and Wall Street. I heard a report that failed banks are allocating bailout money – earmarked by the Treasury to buy troubled assets – for CEO bonuses. Congress last week gave itself a pay raise, raiding $2.5 million from taxpayers, many of whom have lost jobs and homes. The same lawmakers are demanding that CEOs of struggling companies work for free.

Initially, I felt outrage, then deep sadness. Greed and malfeasance rule the day. I opened the Old Testament and found three verses that reflect how I feel today:

• The Torah is powerless, and justice never goes forth (Habakkuk 1:4).

• The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men (Micah 7:2).

• When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me (Micah 7:8).

Checkmate

Arctic blasts are dumping snow and ice on cities across America, days after the Bush administration tried again to divide and destroy Israel. Major calamities – freak storms and natural disasters – typically follow every move by the United States to bully the Jewish state. The UN Security Council passed a resolution Tuesday declaring peace negotiations between the Jewish state and Palestinians "irreversible." America co-sponsored the resolution.

Friends, we are witnessing the trampling of Jerusalem by Gentile nations as prophesied in Luke 22:24. The return of Messiah cannot be far away. I believe the LORD is sovereignly arranging the final chess pieces of world history to fulfill Joel 3:2, the mother of all checkmates:

I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehosphaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided My land.

Bush and Condi are repeating the folly of Pharaoh, ignoring God's warnings while persecuting the Hebrews. And we all know how that turned out. We haven't been hit by locusts or lice, but the economic crisis, hazardous weather and natural disasters (Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans the same day the last Jewish homes and synagogues in Gush Katif were bulldozed in 2005) are weakening America. If Obama continues this Mideast madness once he takes office, America might collapse under the weight of God's plagues.